8 Things That Happen When You Stop Washing Your Hair Every Day

JAMIE GRILL/GETTY IMAGE

It used to be the norm to shampoo, rinse, and repeat every single morning. But now that blowout bars—and dry shampoos—have exploded in popularity, women are going longer and longer between washings. (I’ve personally racked up a full week between shampoos to eke out more mileage from my blowouts.)Of course, hairstylists and colorists have been stressing the benefits of a more leisurely shampooing schedule for years. “Washing every day is too much. You need to give your scalp a chance to balance out and be the best it can be,” says Elle Kinney, a hairstylist at Livian Salon in New York City. “Going two to three days between shampoos is better, but if your hair never seems to get oily, you can go even longer.” Here’s what to expect when you lather up less. (Eat for better hair and skin—and lose up to 25 pounds in 2 months—with Prevention‘s new Younger In 8 Weeks plan!)

1/8THELOSTEYEBALL/GETTY IMAGE

Your hair won’t be as dry.

Our scalps naturally produce sebum—aka oil—that, if left alone, will hydrate the hair. But daily washing removes the good stuff. “Talk about a great hair mask!” says Kinney. “This sebum is just as important to get silky strands as any conditioner you can purchase.” (Here’s an easy mask you can make in your kitchen.)

2/8FANCY/VEER/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGE

Your hair will be shinier.

You can thank those overachieving oils again. “Hair will certainly be more lustrous when given time to renew in its own oils,” says Kinney, who suggests making the most of your natural reserve by using a flat boar bristle brush to distribute the oils from root to tip. (Check out these 4 secret ingredients for shiny hair.)

“Curly hair tends to be more dry, because it is much harder for the oils at the scalp to make their way to the mid-lengths and ends,” says Kinney. “Not washing every day allows the hair to be nourished, which will give you much silkier curls.” Her tip: On day two, help those oils move through the hair by massaging your scalp with your fingers, then use them to comb through to the ends.

4/8ALEKSANDARNAKIC/GETTY IMAGE

Your hair color will look better and last longer.

Nothing will make your colorist shudder like telling her you shampoo your hair every day. “Hair color is like clothes: The more you wash them, the more worn out and faded they become,” says Will Francis, a colorist at the Sally Hershberger Downtown salon in New York City. “It’s the same for your hair—the less you wash it, the more vibrant it will be.”

The main culprit is actually the water itself. “Even if you didn’t wash your hair with shampoo, the water alone would make your haircolor fade,” says Francis, who recommends going at least a few days between cleansings. When you do suds up, use a sulfate-free formula specifically designed for color-treated hair—and a lower water temperature. “Using cold to lukewarm water will help color from fading,” he says. “Hot water can open up the cuticle, causing color to escape.”

5/8JW LTD/GETTY IMAGE

Your blowouts will go the distance.

The longer you wait to shampoo after a blowout, the longer your $40 investment at the salon (or 30-minute time investment at home) will last. To keep yours going stronger, longer, ask the stylist to use minimal styling products in your hair and avoid oils entirely. Then, apply a little dry shampoo like John Frieda Luxurious Volume Volume Refresh Dry Shampoo at your roots the following day (and each day after) to soak up any oil produced by your scalp. On the final day before shampooing, pull your hair into a simple ponytail to rack up another day before washing and restyling.

7/8NATTHAPENPIS/GETTY IMAGE

You may get some product buildup.

When you use a lot of styling products, they tend to stay on your scalp if you’re not washing them away regularly. This could lead to dullness and visible residue. If you’re going longer than a few days between shampoos, you could even end up with an inflammation of the hair follicles. “This feels and looks like pimples on the scalp, and can be tender and uncomfortable,” says Chiu.

To get rid of excess product, New York City hairstylist and co-founder of Fox and Jane salons Lorean Cairns recommends washing with a gentle clarifying shampoo once a month. “Clarifying shampoos are the best way to get rid of buildup of any kind,” she says. “Just be careful not to overuse them, as they can dry your hair out.” Try Hair Food Root Strawberry Ginger Root Cleansing Shampoo.

8/8FRANCESCO SAMBATI / EYEEM/GETTY IMAGE

And yes, your hair may look greasy. (But psst: It’s temporary!)

For all their benefits, natural oils can also cause unwashed hair to inch towards greaseball territory, particularly if you have fine hair. “What happens when people stop washing their hair hugely depends on their hair type, and for some people, it can leave hair oily and flat,” says Cairns. The good news: No matter your hair type, it gets better! (If you do have thin hair, try these 10 gorgeous and simple hairstyles.)

“When you strip the oils from your scalp and hair, your scalp will overproduce oil. But over time, it will begin to produce less,” says Cairns. “The first couple weeks may be difficult, but your scalp will adjust.” While your scalp is “in training,” Kinney suggests camouflaging any greasiness by pulling your hair into a sleek ponytail or topknot on the day(s) after a wash.

Enfleurage is a beautiful essential oil shop in NYC that specializes in the purest and of highest grade oils available. The owner and mastermind behind the shop is Trygve, who actually distills the Frankinsense in her own distillery in Oman. If it doesn’t get more real than that… I don’t know what does!

Essential oils have been around for thousands of years and are often used for its beneficial properties and medicinal ways. I love the idea of using essential oils as my daily scent as it is natural and free of any additives that can be found in some perfumes.

Individual oils are carried at this magical little shop as well as custom blends that they make… Which I love. Unsure of what scents are right for you? I recently chatted with Trygve on how to choose the best oils for yourself.

Read below for the interview:

What is the difference between buying a pure essential oil or something like a perfume or a roll on?

A perfume is something intended to wear as personal fragrance. A roll on can also be a perfume, and it can also be made from pure essential oils. When you buy an essential oil, you are buying a raw ingredient. Some essential oils you can wear directly on the skin, like you would a perfume. Or you can add them to a room vaporizer, a spray, body wash, lotion, a compress, a steam, or any of a hundred different uses. Or you can use in food, as a culinary additive, or to directly address minor skin issues, like bites, burns, etc.

If deciding to buy an essential oil, are any specific oils best to first layer as your base? And why?

I’m not sure what this means. My base? From a fragrance perspective? If you are making a perfume, there are various schools of thought regarding proper procedure. I would say, though, that decide on what you’re doing, what the heart of your scent is, and proceed from there.

Best scents for a cold? Uplifting? Productivity? Fertility? Romance? Energizing?

For anything to do with sinus, cough, phlegm, etc, eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme (especially thuyanol,) and we have store blend called immune aid. Energizing oils are mints, rosemary, ginger, and further depending on context. Romance would basically mean any oils that can help you relax and maybe shed some inhibition. Ylang ylang and jasmine are usually considered romantic oils but I think it’s a question of personal choice.

What are the best spots on your body to apply the scents? How often should you apply it?

If you’re using your essential oils like perfume: maybe frankincense, patchouli, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, a dab on the wrists should be fine, but there are plenty of other ways to cloak yourself with fragrance. A drop in the hands and then in the hair, on a washcloth in the shower, or directly over the lymph nodes in the shower.

Have you always wanted those long locks? Girl, you have to treat the whole package to get the best results. Of course, using good products will help. But, the combination of internally treating the body will also result in faster and stronger hair growth. Get the 411 below on your hairs new bff’s.

Multivitamin or Biotin: Start by feeding your hair daily with some B Vitimins to promote hair growth. Taken over time, a vitamin can fill in any gaps that you don’t otherwise receive from your diet. Give it time to work. You should see some new hair’s sprout up in a few months.

Flax Seed: This little seed packs a lot of punch. It is best absorbed into the body, ground up rather than whole, as you can than pull the most benefits from it. I swear by grinding up some seeds in a coffee or nut grinder and filling up an old cinnamon or spice shaker with the ground flax seeds. Shake this little mixture on everything from eggs, steamed veggies, grilled chicken, over salad and into a smoothie. The possibilities are endless. The idea is that you want to take in a teaspoon a day. Be sure to store the shaker in the refrigerator as nuts can go rancid over time if left out.

Salmon: News flash, this delicious fish is extremely beneficial for strong strands. Rich in Omega’s, your hair will be fortified, aka strengthened from the inside out. A little pricey, but think of it as an investment in your hair. Try to incorporate salmon into your diet at least once a week, preferably twice. Throw it over a spinach salad for lunch or pair with some veggies and a sweet potato for dinner.

Avocado: High in really good for you fatty acids, avocado will give you those shimmery and sun reflective locks. Think of avocado as an internal shine boost for you hair…You want that. Delicious spread on toast or in egg salad as a replacement for mayonnaise.

Nuts: Considered to be a perfect food, this blend of protein, fatty acids, and omegas is going to enrich your hair to the fullest. Strengthen and repair by snacking on a handful of nuts. Make your own blend and snack on a handful size amount throughout the day. A combination of almonds, walnuts, cashew and sunflower seeds is my go to. Fun fact: 8-10 almonds can have the same effect on a headaches as two aspirin. Natures medicine.

Oils: If you are suffering from dry or brittle hair, replenish from the inside out by adding more healthy oils into your meals. A lubricant for the body, these oils will keep the machine churning at it’s full potential. Drizzle some olive oil onto steamed veggies or sauté really anything in coconut oil, which can tolerate the highest heat and is perfect for searing meat as well. Still not able to get the recommended teaspoon of oil into your diet? Just take a teaspoon and take a spoonful of unrefined pure coconut oil right from the jar and swallow. That easy.

Weekly Hair Masks: Strengthen and repair those strands atleast once a week with a really great hair mask. If you want to hit the fast lane to gorgeous hair, use the hair mask as your daily conditioner. Just keep it off the roots if your hair tends to get greasy.

Regular Trims Every 10-12 Weeks: This is a real thing.. Of course you want longer hair, so it sounds silly to trim it. But in reality, your hair will break from the bottom up without regular trims. Resulting in long yet broken and uneven hair… That really doesn’t look good, mixed in with a bunch of split ends. It is uber important to trim those split ends before they do unreversible damage and break up the hair shaft, that can only be solved in cutting a decent amount of length off. Do yourself a favor and maintain those locks so that your long hair looks healthy and beautiful.

Silk Pillowcase: Prevent any damage that can be due to tossing and turning in your sleep. Not into roughing up those strands every night? Keep those hair’s nice and smooth by buying a silk pillow case to sleep on. You will wake up with more shine in your hair than you fell asleep with.

Leave on Conditioner: Always, always apply a leave on conditioner to damp hair, first thing when you get out of the shower, before you comb your hair out. Even, if you just plan to let your hair air dry. Protect it, as wet hair is most prone to breakage. It will also act as a barrier from the heat if you do use a bit.

Easy On The Heat Tools: I am a huge believer in curling your hair and using a little heat if that’s what it takes to always look your finest. With that said, I mean a little heat. Buy a curling iron or flat iron that has a temperature setting. All of my ladies with fine-medium strands or color treated hair, do not go past the medium heat temperature. If each hair strand is thick in texture or very course, a little extra heat is okay. Don’t lie to yourself though. Your hair doesn’t need it. Doing so, will over time remove the moisture in your hair, making it harder to hold a curl or smooth those strands. It’s the worst thing ever.. And eventually it will cause breakage. Don’t leave the curling iron or flat iron on strands for too long of a time either, about 6-12 seconds for each section is all that it needs. Instead, prep the hair with products to ensure hold.

Patience Is A Virtue: Lastly, it takes time to grow your hair. Keep feeding it with the right food and take care of it at all times and it will happen!

Get your most beneficial rest, while beautifying as you sleep. Use those precious hours of rest, to hydrate your skin and wake up with a luminous glow.

I recently discovered this Pearl Sleeping mask by Sephora. It does wonders to plump up your skin and add to a dewy complexion for the A.M. Apply it to freshly washed damp skin, right before bed to lock in moisture and add hydration.

As a stylist, I feel as though my hands are always dry. To combat this, I swear by using Neutrogena’s Norwegian hand cream. This humectant rich cream, is perfect to apply right before bed as it can be a touch heavy. Let it really work it’s magic by applying a dime size over hands and popping some thick gloves on while you sleep. This allows the cream to fully absorb into your skin.

Post navigation

Hi! I’m Elle Kinney. I'm a hairdresser in NYC I've been doing hair for as long as I can remember and started at my first salon at the age of 16. With dreams of working in NYC, I headed out, picking up a husband along the way. You can usually find me gallivanting through Manhattan or playing in Brooklyn where my husband and I now live.